Why believe in homeopathic medicine?

Question

Homeopathic medicine is the idea that to cure an illness, you take a plant that actuals makes a sympton worse (like nasueua) and you dilute it to the smallest possible amount. Then, that is consumed and supposed to cure you. For years I took homeopathic medicine until I realized this was the truth. I also looked up and found a huge amount of scientific data showing that homeopathic medicine had no impact other than as a placebo. So, if you are someone who knows this and are still convinced that homeopathic medicine is good, I'd love to know why. What am I missing here?

Answer 1

snake oil salesmen have to make money somehow.

Answer 2

better than f**king yourself up on doctors drugs that are only there to perpetuate the huge multi corp drug companies and keep people sick in more ways than one

Answer 3

why believe in anything?

Answer 4

I think for some people it works and others it doesn't

I think you just have to try it if your really interested in using it

Answer 5

Alot of people do that, 'red haring', like a certain Sceptic Doctor who starts talking about those believing in Religion, as 'deluded', and also, believe it or not, throws in 9/11 conspiracies as an argument, in the Alternative Medicine section!, pathetic.

Anyhow, Homeopathy is 'believed in' because people claim to see results/a therapeutic effect.

Scientists would agree, that there is a physiological effect, that follows the placebo effect. Quite simply the power of the human mind, can cure the body of disease/illness.

Some argue, who cares if it is a placebo effect, the objective is met, getting the patient back to health, others say this is unethical, misleading and quackery. I agree with the former, if it is working for them, then why bother them, if it does not work for them, then they will come to the same conclusion as you and I have. Additionally, Homeopathy is inexpensive, and homeopaths and allopaths have a common ground: that is homeopathy is completely safe to take, no side-effects.

But when homeopathy is used as an 'alternative' and not complementery to anything, then this can be dangerous, especially in the case of cancer, HIV, ect. In this situation, it is warranted to criticise and ridicule such actions.

Hope this helps.

EDIT: Have to put that fool straight {SkepDoc}

'...my answers are open for anyone to view, comment, thumbs down, report...whatever. (Unlike noobie Skorpian who wants to hide his wisdom, keen insight and his vast experience)'

My QA are open for my contacts/fans to view. I do not just answer questions on Alt. Medicine, thats why my QA is private, as some questions are personal.

I hope you don't mind that, being a doctor and all {well you claim to be one}, yet I thought good doctors were always busy, with a tight schedule, I suppose your not a good doctor. Well your always wanted here on Yahoo Answers, the place wouldnt be the same without you {I really mean that}. After all I copy/paste my previous 'wisdom' or 'herbal ranting', so don't worry SkepDoc, you have not missed a thing.

Not long ago you were criticising Alex with the same argument, well nosey SkepDoc, take a hint, no one wants you as a contact or snopping around trying to find anything to attack them with, since you have a problem sticking to the topic, and jump onto religion and conspiracy theories. I am glad I made my profile private, to people like you.

'If I get people to think...even if it pisses them off, then that's a good thing. As I say on my profile...I don't suffer fools gladly...and the world, and the microcosm represented on Y!A is overrun with fools'

Bravo, What beautiful and articulate language {this thing sucks at sarcasm}, SkepDoc you should consider a career change, your make a great poet, I think its your calling, you could be the next Shakespeare. After all, your not much of a caring, open minded, patient 'doctor'.

'As a skeptic, I have a particular interest in AM, and as well in religion for personal reasons.. I read an awful lot of stuff about both, as well as other paranormal claims, conspiracy theories etc.'

Wow, we have in our midst a learned scholar, who knows everything, why are you not famous, well you are on AM Yahoo Answers.

So you say you have read 'an awful lot of stuff' about religion, have you read the religious scriptures of every single one of the 6 major religions? Have you truly read alt. medicine books, are just the skeptical one's criticising them. Those 'personal reasons' are merely to give you fuel to insult people's belief in Religion, and call those who follow their religion, 'deluded', it is you who are deluded, ignorant, and blind. But one day, on last day, you will see how misguided and wrong you were.

'Convicted felon Kevin Trudeau (sorry, but I have to spit when I say or type that) has made millions feeding into the need people seem to have that there is something hidden'

Wow, this man is so righteous, amazing. Shame you don't spit on MERCK Pharmaceuticals who killed 200,000 Americans with their drug Vioxx, and now they are paying out compensation; Why the Double Standards?

'People like Skorpian and his endless copy/paste rants about herbs, are clearly as deluded as are people who think that a personal god wants them to burn in h**l for the sin of an ancestor eating fruit...'

Lol, atleast I copy/paste from my own answers, you copy/paste from quackwatch, and point to your previous questions. Shame, you should think for yourself. It shows how poor your religious knowledge really is, hint: 'Christianity' is not the only religion, and I do not believe in the original sin.

'It's kind of scary to think he is in medical school ( or so he claims) Standards must have been lowered since my time.'

Strange that you claim your an ER doctor, do Emergency Room Doctors & a Family Dr. get so much time on the internet? do they not need to update their knowledge by reading journals {10-15 per day}? Well all your patients must be dead, as you sit online criticising Alt. Medicine.

Its people like you who put the medical profession to shame, we have far too many like you, these weeds need to be picked out.

'Thats how the connection between sCAM (so called alternative medicine), religion, conspiracy theories is all relevant. It is all the same thing on one level.'

Unbelievable, I don't even know how to put some sense into him. How is Alt. Medicine, Conspiracy Theories, and Religion the same thing???or as you put it 'on one level'.

Its called dodging the topic, and jumping onto unrelated subjects, at the same time you're insulting, its because you don't have a leg to stand on.

'sCAM', lol these arrogant doctors, they are so smart, creative, and know everything, I think they could put Einstein to shame.

Answer 6

I  am on the fence about homeopathic medicines working as a mircodose or the placebo. But what you seem to be missing about homeopathics is  they are designed not to treat the disease itself, but rather to treat the symptoms. Take collicky babies for example: colic manifests itself differently in each baby. Some become fussy and develop an agitated temperament, other simply cry all day, still other don't express pain but rather throw up all their food. The homeopathic remedy you give to the baby will depend on what the symptoms are. You aren't treating the colic, you are treating the symptom (i.e throwing up food, agitated temperament, etc)

You can't walk into a health food store and expect to come out with the perfect homeopathic unless you have researched it and consulted with an expert on which will work for you.

Answer 7

Well, I wasn't going to answer this one until I saw Skorpian just had to take a shot at me in his answer. So, this is directed more at his answer, than your question. Ironically, he actually admits that homeopathy is nonsense. He doesn't recognize his own cognitive dissonance when it comes to his pet AM practices though.

I have answered lots of questions about homeopathy, and my answers are open for anyone to view, comment, thumbs down, report...whatever. (Unlike noobie Skorpian who wants to hide his wisdom, keen insight and his vast experience)

If I get people to think...even if it pisses them off, then that's a good thing.  As I say on my profile...I don't suffer fools gladly...and the world, and the microcosm represented on Y!A is overrun with fools.

As a skeptic, I have a particular interest in AM, and as well in religion for personal reasons..  I read an awful lot of stuff about both, as well as other paranormal claims, conspiracy theories etc.

What I do find intriguing is the similarity in particular between the religious...those who believe in some sort of personal deity and those who believe in various forms of AM.

There is a lack of credulity in general. There seems to be a need to have some simplistic, over-riding philosophy that is the answer for everything (God did it,  unblock your chi)  

Most AM folks believe these things on faith...they have to, because the evidence is quite disappointing.  In fact, it seems that the stronger the evidence is against something (God, Chi) the stronger their faith is in it.  They feel persecuted.

Thats where the conspiracy theory aspect comes in.  The myth of Big Pharma, the Government, Evil Doctors conspiring to hide the REAL cures.  "they don't want you to know"  . It is no different from the Holocaust deniers, the 9/11 "truth movement" or the Area 51 myth makers.  It's "us"  (righteous) against "them" (evil).

Convicted felon Kevin Trudeau (sorry, but I have to spit when I say or type that) has made millions feeding into the need people seem to have that there is something hidden, and simple that <your pet conspiracy theory here> doesn't want you to know about.  Right.  sure, Kev....and your education. training as a health expert is from what exactly?  But many people would rather take advice from a conman who tells them he knows a secret, than a doctor who says there is no secret.

People like Skorpian and his endless copy/paste rants about herbs, are clearly as deluded as are people who think that a personal god wants them to burn in h**l for the sin of an ancestor eating fruit...and as much as he thinks he is just being open minded...people like him are empty headed.

It's kind of scary to think he is in medical school ( or so he claims)  Standards must have been lowered since my time.

Thats how the connection between sCAM (so called alternative medicine), religion, conspiracy theories is all relevant.  It is all the same thing on one level.

Answer 8

Its even diluted beyond the smallest possible ammount to the point that there isnt even 1 molecule of the original substance and then it is diluted even further.  I believe homeopathy in todays world is just a way to take money from people.  They could take tap water, throw a lable on it calling it what ever they want and no one would know the difference..  Plus it is expensive..  Hmm.. Probably a good way to make some cash though..   If you look up homeopathich dilution on wikipedia, is says that a 4C dilution is equvalent to the acceptable leves of arsenic is drinkingwater..   There is probably more ammounts of other random stuff in the homeopathic remedies than the substance they are selling...

Go ahead and give me a thumbs down now..

Answer 9

"I think for some people it works and others it doesn't "

thats just being naive, the reason why anecdotal evidence isn't valid is because, in this case, what could have happened is a range of things, correlation doesn't always equal causation just because they got better as they took the "remedy" doesn't mean it was the remedy responsible for healing the person.

"why believe in anything?"

notice how that statement doesn't even address the argument? this is referred to as a red haring, instead of actually countering the argument they just say something completely unrelated.